|
ゴリゴリ!
 Graphic Designer
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Age: 32
|
"Knowledge" (Original Story and Request)
Knowledge
Knowledge is everything. What would you do for ultimate knowledge? I welcome you to the original composition that portrays just how that question could be answered.
"What begins as a parapsychology convention and the mysterious unveiling of a gem becomes a desperate fight for survival, the truth, and ultimate knowledge. The fates of 7 individuals intertwine as they must cooperate and combine their unique powers together in order to prevail.
As you have probably already perceived, this is a story of my own creation. My sincere hope is that it gains enough attention to be transposed to several other mediums; mainly a visual novel, manga, book or even an anime. Very hopeful aspirations aside, I sincerely hope you enjoy this dark and mysterious train ride from beginning to end. My ultimate goal in all of this is - you are sucked into a believable world of psychological suspense and can relate to the characters involved.
This is currently a work in progress, but I write almost every day, so it can be classified as "active".
Finally, I would like to mention that I am slowly learning to work with some of the other mediums I mentioned above. The only problem lies within the concept art; I'm not one who draws well from scratch. I humbly request any of you that have that wonderful artistic talent and can assist me in my project, I would be most grateful. A fair mention in advance; I am somewhat of a perfectionist and would appreciate one who can sketch in a professional-like style. I have nothing against those who draw in a simple style for enjoyment, but in this composition I would like the characters to "pop out" with a professional look.
With that said, here are the current parts to the story! These will be constantly updated and written in a specific style. As the story aims to be a visual novel as well, there are choices to make that lead to branching paths, and there are multiple arcs as well. The story will be portrayed several times through the different arcs, and once everything is written, this thread will be organized in such a manner that you can jump between points and choose your own path.
The Characters
Spoiler for Descriptions:
Akio Keitaro
Age: 19
Intelligence Quotient: 140
Skill: Connection
A first year college psychology student who can easily connect complex ideas together to reach a logical conclusion. For two years, he has had an interest in Suzu, his childhood friend since he was 9. He knows his proper manners but can easily get nasty whenever Suzu is in trouble.
Suzu Yoshiko
Age: 17
Intelligence Quotient: 132
Skill: Investigation
Was allowed early entry into college, where she attends criminal investigation courses. Is quite attractive and receives large amounts of unwanted attention, yet has never been in a relationship. Her eagle eye can spot clues and evidence from a mile away.
Marise Nariko
Age: 16
Intelligence Quotient: 149
Skill: Telepathy
A shy girl who studied under Akio's college professor, who happened to be her tutor. She appears to be the average, cute and innocent student; never attending extracurricular activities or showing a special interest in any field of study. Despite being dead silent most of the time, her ability to telepathically send messages to others often requires her to speak using her mind.
Red
Age: 19
Intelligence Quotient: 126
Skill: Clairvoyance
Was nicknamed 'Red' for his passion and his strong desire for the truth. His past haunted him to the point where he started having visions of the future. In tiny bursts, he can see into the future, but it results in painful migraines. He is inseparable from his childhood saviour, Black. Cannot remember anything about his past except for one traumatic experience.
Black
Age: 16
Intelligence Quotient: 144
Skill: Psychokinesis
A young girl who is shrouded in mystery; was nicknamed 'Black' to portray her need to keep secrets. Like Red, she suffers from amnesia and gets severe headaches whenever she uses her telekinetic powers, which allow her to move objects with her mind. Meets Red during his unforgettable traumatic past, and manages to save him from the brink of death.
Mei Yuuko
Age: 17
Intelligence Quotient: 139
Skill: Psychometry
A high school student who was chosen for the special event within the convention. Her past is no mystery, but it is far from pleasant as well. Has the ability to achieve a perfect zen status, which allows her to use her psychometric skills and look into an object's past/future. Her calming presence and sincere smile are always enough to light up the darkest moments.
Yoko Tsubasa
Age: 20
Intelligence Quotient: 151
Skill: Remote Viewing
The oldest and most mature of the group. Manages to always turn hopeless situations around by using her skill of remote viewing, which allows her to sense distant objects. She never speaks unless she has to, and will also never talk about her past. Teaches parapsychology in a famous Japanese university.
Prologue
"The Search For Knowledge"
Spoiler:
The date is August 18, 2020, 6:30 AM.
*beep*
*beep*
*beep*
“Alright already, I’m up! Are you happy now, you ridiculously obnoxious alarm?”
My name is Akio Keitaro. It was 19 years ago on this day when I became a part of this world. “How will I celebrate my date of birth?” you ask? What if I was to tell you that I am going to spend it at a parapsychology convention? I know, not quite the norm…let me inform you though; what society considers normal is unappealing to me. Clairvoyance, telekinesis, psychokinesis – all of it is fascinating; wouldn’t it be amazing if you had those abilities? I sincerely believe that there is proof of parapsychological powers out there; today I continue my long search for the truth.
A thunderous crash came down on the snooze button as usual, but I’m not one to lull around in the morning.
“So, 19 already, huh?”
I was way too excited to go back to sleep anyways. Not only was I invited to this mysterious event, but I was permitted to invite two companions as well. I felt a wave of excitement come over me when I remembered who I had invited – I won’t tell you who yet, but let’s just say that they’ll make today’s event positively blissful.
“Time for a shower; I want to be sure I’m not late for this thing.”
The shower always takes a long time to heat up; this is why I always wake up early. What’s that? You want to know more about the convention? I suppose I can tell you while the world’s weakest heater works on heating this water.
“Knowledge” is the name of today’s event. Here’s the strange thing – the supposed “parapsychology convention” is proudly floundering the release of a mystical gem on its advertisement. That’s right, the main reason most are attending today’s event is to witness the release of the gem known as “Knowledge”. It is said that this magnificent jewel has the power to grant one’s deepest desire, should they possess the ability to make a connection with it. Sounds pretty interesting, wouldn’t you say?
As the water finally heats up, I made sure not to take too long under the soothing flow of water. The event isn’t scheduled to begin until 8, but I want to make sure I arrive before my companions do.
“Today’s a special day. Better make sure I look my absolute best.”
Having said that, I took the styling gel with a thick viscosity and applied it to my jet-black hair. The epic struggle managed to last just under 2 minutes, but I was victorious in the end – my satisfaction was guaranteed.
Pulling my well-ironed shirt from its hanger, I quickly scoped out a matching pair of jeans to wear with it. I had even managed to locate my watch, wallet and cell phone in a matter of seconds. Making sure I wasn’t leaving anything behind, I stepped out into the welcoming sunlight.
Convention Centre
7:13 A.M.
“Looks like this is it.”
I took in a deep breath and inhaled the scent of a bright morning. Neither of my companions had made it yet, but that was to be expected – I did show up almost an hour early, after all. I should mention – the first thing that caught my eye when I arrived was the shape of this building. Take a good look; reminds you a lot of Escher’s works, doesn’t it? The winding staircase that led here pays homage to the Ascending and Descending lithograph, and the framework for this edifice reminds me of Belvedere. I noticed that as mathematical impossibilities, these structures need to be viewed from a certain point to achieve the illusional effect. There are several partitions that prevent one from leaving the correct line of sight; this centre was very well built.
Upon glancing at my wristwatch, I noticed that gazing upon these marvels had certainly passed the time. I took a seat on another undecidable figure; a bench that appeared to elevate one side in a convex motion, while mysteriously concaving on the other. The illusion could once again only be achieved for those in the correct positions – anyone merely passing by would see two people sitting on separate benches. These paradoxical figures were nothing new to me; we’d study them on various occasions in college. I had only lowered myself to the bench’s level for about half a minute or so when a voice called out to me.
“Akio, there you are!”
Up the impossible staircase came a shining light, a divine soul, an old friend.
“Hey, you made it!” I shouted.
She flashed a brilliant smile that could cleanse the blackest heart. Her unmatchable sense of fashion radiated stronger than ever today – it’s no wonder why so many guys are after her. Upon her flowing chestnut hair she adorned an adorable beret that accentuated her dainty twin-tails. Taking extra caution not to become blinded to her sheer beauty, one could also notice the stylish hoodie that fit perfectly over her somewhat small stature. She wore a cute skirt that adhered to her tiny waist, and a pair of black stockings with trendy red and white sneakers sat near the bottom. To top it off, a single bangle composed of tiny cubes that uttered the name “ S-U-Z-U” clasped around her left wrist. Simply put, Suzu is my oldest and closest friend, and if you’ve failed to notice by this point, I’ve had an interest in her for a couple of years now.
“That’s right, it’s me!” she gleamed. Flashing an unfairly angelic glare at me, she raised an eyebrow and asked: “You haven’t forgotten me, have you?”
Shaking my head furiously, I took on a large grin and answered in a booming, announcer-like voice.
“Introducing: The World’s Greatest Mystery Detective – Ms. Suzu Yoshiko!”
Even her giggle was heavenly. For a few seconds, I had lost all thoughts going through my mind. Regaining my basic composure, I brought a new question to light.
“Hey Suzu, you didn’t come with Marise-san?”
“No, she said she had a prior engagement to attend to and told me to head up first. Plus, I couldn’t keep you waiting, could I?”
Her consideration, coupled with her incredible smile made me the happiest man on Earth. What? “Who’s Marise?” you ask? Well you see, Nariko Marise is my seco…
“Stop.”
It was Suzu who had spoken. Her adorable persona had quickly transposed into a professional one, and she began to scan the area. As her left hand reached her right ear, Suzu seemed to hear something that I obviously could not.
“The subtle squeaking of Size 8 sneakers. The scent of a light perfume, and the footsteps of one who is about 5’8.”
While I was still in a shocked state, Suzu gave her fingers a loud snap and shared her presumptions.
“It’s Nariko-chi, no doubt about it.”
I was surprised beyond belief as Marise Nariko slowly progressed up the winding staircase. Maybe Suzu was cut out for detective work, after all. I couldn’t give her the satisfaction that quickly, so I hid my bewildered look and gave her a simple thumbs up. I could instantly tell though – her senses were sharp enough to catch my attempt at deception. Quickly turning my head to avoid the awkward aftermath, I shouted out to Marise-san.
“Marise-san! You made it!”
She stood slightly taller than Suzu did, but her fashionable taste was much simpler from any angle. Nariko Marise was a shy girl, you see. Her plain and calming clothing reflected her sheltered personality – she didn’t want any extra attention at any time. One could not call her unfashionable though, as her style never failed to emit a soothing emotion to anyone who would gaze upon her subtle presence. Perceiving a strong feeling of calmness flow over myself as well, I suddenly realized that this semblance would circulate for the entire time we would be together.
“A-ah, yes. Thank you for inviting me today.” Such a polite girl. “It’s no problem at all, thank you for coming.” I made sure to be as polite as possible.
“Enough of the waiting, let’s go in!”
As much as I appreciated Suzu’s enthusiasm, we were prohibited from entering until the set time. To pass the time, I decided to take the group to see the other paradoxical curiosities that had set their foundations upon the square we were currently exploring. Looking through the outer glass casing of the main building, I pointed to yet another abnormality.
“See? Another Escher-like structure. Notice how the illusion causes the stairs to appear in an impossible state; they appear to be flowing upwards, then magically vanish into the floor of the next floor.”
Both of them looked fascinated, but I knew damn well that they already had knowledge of impossible objects and Escher lithographs. To the one who flat-out claimed that males were more intelligent than females – I call complete bullshit on that. It was well known on campus that Nariko Marise had a staggering intelligence quotient of 149 – very high for a 16 year old. I followed close behind at 140 at the age of 19, and Suzu stayed strong at 132 at 17 years of age.
Suzu’s strong senses suddenly struck again, almost as if they controlled her actions.
“Somebody’s about to speak. Somebody important.” What a perceptive teenager.
Through a series of loudspeakers, a majestic voice filled the vibrant air. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! We are pleased that so many of you have come out to our special event today.” A strange aura began to surround the speech itself – even I could sense it without Suzu’s assistance. “As you are all aware, today’s convention will be held for two reasons – to satisfy the minds of parapsychologists, and to also unveil the mystical gem known as ‘Knowledge’. Allow me to inform you all that there is actually a third reason why we have called you here today.”
Chatter instantly broke out within the large crowd; it seems as if nobody had a firm grasp on the situation.
“Akio, what’s happening?” Suzu was curious, but appeared to keep a straight face.
Through the mumblings of a crowd lost in solicitude, I felt a sudden tap on my left shoulder.
“Yo, bud. This smell fishy to you, or what?”
Tilting my head slightly towards the voice, I locked eyes with a well-built man who appeared to be somewhere in his early adult years. In an almost quivering stage, a younger girl clad in dark attire was fully concealed behind the man. Avoiding the urge to ask questions, I attempted to give a somewhat prudent response.
”You’re right. I can’t put my finger on it, but something seems amiss. Got an educated guess on the current situation?”
“There is insufficient information to formulate what you call an ‘educated guess’, but I’d speculate that we’ve been lied to in some way.”
The stranger seemed to know what he was talking about. As his line of sight fixated directly on my face, I noticed his bloodstained eyes. Wait…are they bloodstained? No! His…his eyes are red…
He seemed to notice my reactions upon gazing into his oddly coloured irises. Shaking it off, he placed a friendly hand on my left shoulder.
“The name’s Red, bud! The little one behind me is known as Black.”
Turning my body to fully face the mysterious pair, I followed through with my introduction.
“Akio’s what they call me. The energetic recessionista is Suzu, and the quieter scholar is Marise-san.”
Red seemed to have figured it all out. Passing me a subtle wink that implied “Good job!” he presented his analysis.
“So let’s see…” “One. You’ve known Miss Suzu here much longer than Miss Marise here.”
He was spot on. I assume he deduced that using the respectable suffix I always add to Marise’s name.
“Two. I’d venture an educated guess that you and Miss Suzu are childhood friends.”
Not bad. Did he guess that from the childish tone I took with Suzu’s introduction? It was quite obvious, but impressive nonetheless.
“Three. Only one of you was initially invited to this event. The other two were personally invited by the individual. Akio, good on you to invite these two beautiful ladies to something like this.”
Oh, a more detailed assumption! It was time for logical reasoning; how did you figure that part out, Red?
Closing my eyes, I fell into a deep state of mind. Within this train of thought, I can visualize all the necessary facts and reach a logical conclusion. My acquaintances always tell me that there’s nothing I can’t figure out. I think they’re wrong.
“Hey wait, Akio! Where do you get off calling me a recessionista?!”
My eyes immediately snapped open, and I barely managed to hear Suzu’s playful message. The group easily detected the tonality of her voice, and shared a relaxed laugh. Entrapped in this joyous atmosphere, I decided that deducing Red’s line of logic wasn’t necessary at the moment.
However, one person was not engulfed in the happiness. A blazing aura of sorrow struck me as I looked in Black’s direction. She was not a happy camper, to say the very least. I evaded capture from the negativity and faced Red again.
“Hey Red, do you mind if we continue once the announcement is over? I’m all for wandering the grand aisles of this convention together, if you want.”
Red gave a single nod. His right hand reached for Black’s helmet, and the gentle petting he gave it caused an adorable whimper from Black to come forth. As cute as that was, I needed to catch up on this important disclosure; we had already missed a portion of it during our chat.
“…and as we have mentioned, that should become your main focus in this event. The ‘Chosen Ones’ shall leave the convention with the ultimate knowledge.” What had we missed? These ‘Chosen Ones’…had they already been determined, or were they searching for certain characteristics?
And with that, the announcer had finished his speech, and the grand doors of the building slid open with a thunderous roar. The crowd must have been mystified and confused by the declaration; there was almost complete silence as the group of about 300 slowly shuffled into the building…
Suzu Arc
Chapter 1: The Painful Reminiscence
Spoiler for Part 1:
Inside the building, the atmosphere completely changed. The marvels that were surprisingly well hidden within the complex had broken the silence; the mute were once again able to speak.
Since the event had returned to its original livelihood, I decided it was a good time to once again converse with our two mysterious outcomers. I attempted to make a good first impression on Black, and directed my attention towards her.
“Hey there, Black. Sorry we’ve been talking about ourselves so much until now; can you tell us about yourself?” I tried to assure her that everything was okay.
Clasping tightly to Red’s jacket, Black managed to weave together a sentence.
“Sorry, I don’t have anything to say about myself.”
Why was she being so hostile towards me? My curiosity would be quickly diminished however, as Red once again stepped up to the imaginary microphone.
“I apologize for my friend here. Truth is, we’ve both been abandoned by our families at birth.”
That came as a slight shock to me. As I wondered about how the two of them managed to get by, Red continued his story, as if he knew about my curiosity.
“You see, we were found on the streets and raised in an orphanage – that’s where we first met.”
Without warning, an interruption arrived.
“I’m curious, why are your names Red and Black? Are they codenames or something? What are your real names?”
“Please, don’t make this any more uncomfortable than it has to be, Suzu.” I thought. Admittingly though, she did bring up a valid question that had been troubling me for a while now.
“We…we don’t know our real names.” Red appeared to be in a perturbed state. “You don’t know your real names?!” shouted Suzu, in a suddenly flustered state.
It broke my heart, but I had to stop Suzu from pressing Red and Black any further. They already seemed to be pushing themselves to present their chronicle to us.
“Suzu, you shouldn’t trouble them.”
Suzu gasped in realization of her behaviour, and swiftly quieted down. Lowering her head, she whimpered a simple “sorry”. I’m unaware if you know what it feels like to speak in a negative tone to somebody you desire, but let me tell you from my own experience – it’s painful.
Black was the one to reply, surprisingly.
“Please…don’t worry about it.” Clearly she was not one of many words. Red took the brightened atmosphere to his advantage and continued. “We can’t remember our names because of an incident from our pasts. Either way, we became fast friends at the orphanage – we’ve become like a family, y’know?”
I could easily tell that Red didn’t want to talk about this ‘incident’ from their pasts, so I opted to remain quiet. Red chose the opposite path and continued on. However, his voice suddenly took on a serious tone.
“Hey, Akio. Do you know why we’re here today?”
Why? Isn’t it for the same reason as everyone else? A somber setting would soon show signs of surfacing, I speculate. Thirsting for the continuation of the tale, I responded with a quick “No, why?”.
Red took a second to give Black a questioning look. She seemed reluctant on disclosing information on the matter, but Red stood docile. The conversation they were likely having via body language played out in my head.
“What do you think, Black? Should we tell them?”
“I don’t know…I have a bad feeling.”
“All I’m saying is, we need to have somebody help us in our goal; they seem intelligent and sympathetic to our plight.”
“Red…I trust your decision, nobody else’s.”
“Thanks, Black.”
Of course, the fevered speculations of a logical thinker using only body language in his or her composition can only be dismissed as ‘lunacy’. Without a foundation to build upon, my interpretation of Black and Red’s telepathic conversation was simply a myth, a tale of lore. Regaining my composure, I looked up at Red, who was now ready to speak yet again.
“Prepare yourself…this story is not a convivial one.”
Spoiler for Part 2:
In an instant, the group fell taciturn. Nobody dared speak, for they may omit something of great importance. Convinced that nobody would interrupt, Red began his story.
“Do you recall when I said Black and I met at our orphanage, and when I said I was abandoned at birth? Those were both lies.”
At that moment, I knew this account would take a turn for the worse. Let me tell you, one of the things I cannot stand is being lied to. Red better have a damn good reason for deceiving us all.
“It’s time we told somebody of the incident that still haunts our pasts. Let me start at the very beginning – I was only 6 when it all started. Heh, I remember it as if was yesterday…what a fresh wound I bleed my story from…”
The time was 7:42 in the morning. Red had just received a brutal punishment from his father, and his mother is just as remorseless. Without taking a minute to retort, he had run out from the dwelling and escaped into the streets.
“I don’t need them, I live without rules, without family.” That’s what he must have thought at the time. Little did he know, the harsh nature of society would quickly reject him and send him crawling back for his family. A mere two days later, he had already received a taste of what being homeless was like. Freezing temperatures, begging for food and money, searching for shelter, and seeking refuge with his fellow man. He had given up, no doubt about it. Nothing would be as bad as living out the rest of his days in this manner. Weakened, starving and now reformed, Red made his way back to the shelter which he called home.
“This…is where it gets rough.” And Red passed on a glare that basically said “If you are of a weak heart, get out now”. Determined to finish what they had started, nobody moved an inch. After one very evident sigh, Red would slowly reach the climax of his tale.
“It had only been 2 days, but it felt like an eternity to me. I was only 6, after all. ‘Crawling back’ was no figure of speech here; I had literally been weakened to the point where I had dragged myself back. Using the last of my strength, I summoned the courage to face my parents and stood up to face the front door.”
All of a sudden, a pause…a lingering pause. The left hand quickly snaps up to the right temple, and Akio’s perceptive eyes took over. This…a subconscious recollection? When one remembers a painful or inspirational event from their past, the body may respond with an action relating to the event that occurs subconsciously. This may be an important factor to note; I made sure to log the occurrence into my memory for future account.
Shaking off the action as if it never happened, Red blindly continued. Something detrimental was arriving…
“As I stared into the cherry wood barricade, I could catch the sickening scent of varnish. The rustic door refused to open no matter how many times I would knock…something was definitely amiss.”
I was distraught, but not to the point of blindness. “Perhaps they just weren’t home? It wouldn’t have been uncommon if they had truly repudiated him.”
Giving me a somewhat unimpressed stare, Red said only three words: “It wasn’t locked.”
A very dazed Suzu quickly yelped a simple “What?!” in response.
“The door itself hadn’t been left unlocked. Taking a closer look at the hinges that supported it, I could immediately tell that the entry had been forced open. With no other options present, I rotated the brass knob and stepped into the inviting darkness.” The tension grows, and my head begins to pound. Everybody always informs me that I’m the ‘cool and collected’ type, but it is psychological strain that I have always feared. The suspense slowly building…tearing away at one’s mind until it is nothing more than an amoeba-like organism. The same can be said however, for the sweet promise of the truth languidly escaping your clutches. Grasping that one simple tidbit of knowledge, I continued to listen.
“My first step into the tenebrous construct was not a silent one. The crunching of broken glass reverberated throughout the entire lower floor. One who was perched on the second floor would be oblivious to it, but it was quite noisy nonetheless.”
“Was the echoing of sound waves really your primary concern at the time?” I asked, somewhat stupidly.
With a sigh of extreme exasperation, Red gave me a sharp glare and simply replied “Are you serious, Akio?”.
I immediately caught my mistake. Do you see it now – how quickly the human mind can falter in the face of fear…under the fear of losing your knowledge? It’s one big ironic turntable, and all we can do is hopefully rotate upon it.
Red gave me a secondary glimpse and formulated a satisfied grin. “Heh, I knew it. As you’ve already reevaluated, the door was unlocked and nobody had answered the buzzer; there was a reasonable probability that the house was occupied by intruders.”
After my blunder, I dare not utter a word…at least for now. Content with Red’s understanding, I urged him to proceed yet again.
“I carefully advanced, attempting to find my bearings; it was so very dark. Before I knew it, I had found myself in a kneeling position against a winding staircase. The first deep breath I had taken since I entered; it was just as I feared…the scent…of human blood.”
Gentle whimpers followed after that – the glistening teardrops had begun to flow from the innocent eyes of Suzu and Marise. Red appeared to show no signs of ceasing; a caged beast that had been raging within his heart was finally about to be set free, and nothing would stop it.
“Instinct – that’s all I could follow. While my body shook violently in fear, my resolve stood strong; I would face the truth head on. The ascension up the winding path seemed longer than ever before, and after what felt like an eternity, I could recall it – the nostalgic instance of when my feet first touched the upstairs rug. The only thing visible at this point was a single light that dimly radiated from the farthest room.”
I was shivering at this point. What happened next was far too obvious…I only prayed it was too palpable to be true.
“I had no choice; I quietly crept towards the fluorescence that had become too caliginous to illuminate the shelter’s interior zenith. I hadn’t even taken 10 steps, and I suddenly found myself fighting against gravity. I expected an obstreperous slam when my body collided with the floor, but I was greeted with a moist, splattering squish in its place.”
So it was true…
“The stench was the worst part…until my brain had interpreted what my eyes had witnessed. I had stumbled over the corpses of my parents and was now swimming in their blood.”
“N-no…It can’t be…” Suzu mewled, unable to accept what had happened. Marise didn’t look too well either. “It was horrific. The flesh on my father’s head had been flung away by what I could tell were multiple shotgun blasts, and it appeared as if the crown wasn’t the only location that had suffered damage. Things had been much worse for my mother. About 20-30 large lacerations around her entire body, and the tissue that was once her chest had been torn away. All I could conclude from this ghastly scene was that the guilty party had been searching for something…something imperative.”
“Please, no more.” I basically screamed within my mind. Red’s choice of words had made the scenario seem far too realistic, and with my overactive imagination, I had pictured it in the worst manner possible.
“As I limped over what used to be my family, I began to weep silently. All that followed the tears of my defeat was a single clicking noise…and a voice.”
“Don’t move.”
Many thanks to everyone who reads my story! As always, I appreciate your comments, as well as your constructive criticism. 
|